While the Zoom support site ( https://zoom.us/support ) has extensive information, this page is created to help organizers and members have a simple set of instructions and links to the most basic information needed to carry out the common tasks. The links should open in a new tab. Close the new tab to return to this list.

Links for participants

Smartphones have both mics and speakers. Desktop computers will need speakers to listen. Long distance phone numbers are provided if you don’t have a microphone/speakers and want to listen and talk.

You will need to have a browser that is up to date.

You will receive a meeting code typically in an email invitation. The email link can be used to join the meeting. The meeting ID is the last nine to eleven digits in the e-mail link, and that is the most important information. The e-mail will also include some long distance phone number if you want to join sound and mic via phone.

Prior to joining a meeting, make sure that your computer speakers are not muted, and make sure that the mic is not disabled. Your computer may have special function keys to enable/disable these, but you will want both to function during the meeting. The meeting host may optionally mute or disable video when you first join, but you want to make sure that the devices are working so that you can turn them on during the meeting when you want to participate.

You do NOT need a zoom account to participate in a meeting.

How to join a meeting from the e-mail link – Note the link ‘Test Computer Mic and Speakers’ that is not used in the screencast. You can use that link prior to joining to make sure that your speakers and mic are working. Notice that the page includes a link to enter a ‘test’ meeting so that you experience the steps.

How to turn on/off audio and video during a meeting.

If you download the zoom app (also called the zoom client, click here) you can join without the e-mail message by using the meeting id. You can start the app from the start/launcher, click ‘Join a Meeting’, and then enter the nine digit meeting id.

Depending on the settings that the meeting host configured, your mic and video may have been disabled. You can turn them back on during the meeting using the instructions from the link above.

To leave a meeting, find the link in the lower right of the screen. You may need to hover along the bottom edge if the menu is not appearing.

Links for meeting hosts

Hosting can be arranged from the main web site (https://zoom.us/signin) or via the client (app).

Your meeting participants may not be familiar with Zoom. It may be a good idea to offer to work with some participants ahead of time by using the Personal Meeting ID. You can share that ID with the participant ahead of time and start the personal meeting prior to the time when they will join. From the app, find the personal meeting id from the dropdown under New Meeting. From the web site, find the personal meeting id by clicking ‘Profile’. After sharing the ID, start a meeting using the personal meeting ID and wait for them to join.

Screens and menus differ depending on whether you use the client (app) or zoom web site or a mobile device. The client will download the first time you use Zoom (or download using the link above), and then the app can be started from the launcher/start menu. Because we share a common host account, all of the scheduled meetings will appear under the menu for ‘Meetings’ along the top of the client or in the left panel of the web page. Select a time for you meeting that does not conflict with other meetings.

If your meeting involves a mailing list, you can send the invitation to the mailing list address instead of inviting individual e-mail addresses. If you omit someone in the initial mailing, you can always load the meeting and copy the meeting invitation and send the e-mail separately.

Scheduling a meeting using the zoom web site. (You must sign in to access the panel). When you schedule the meeting, we suggest that you select the boxes to permit participants to enter before the host if you are hosting a small event. For large public scheduled events such as coffee hour, the host should be present to start the meeting, and the ‘enable join before host’ option should be disabled because with meetings without this option set, anyone can use the meeting at any time outside the scheduled time. Also, note the option to play a tone when participant enter/leave which is good for small groups. Settings are available to automatically mute members when they join, but this can be confusing to participants who have not used zoom previously. It may be better to leave the mics enabled and then ask them to mute during the meeting by finding the icon in the lower left.

During the meeting, open mics can be an annoyance and it may be difficult to identify which mic is causing the problem. The software usually has a pop-up with the name of the participant who is talking. I you click ‘participants’ you will find buttons to mute individual people and also to at the bottom is a button to mute everyone and then you can ask certain participants to turn their mic back on.

Occasionally, a participant may need to leave and then rejoin to solve sound issues.

Passwords should be used for meetings that are not intended to be completely public. Because of the open nature of meetings without passwords, anyone with the meeting id can join the meeting, which means that hackers and ‘zoom bombers’ can randomly enter meeting ids to find a meeting to disrupt. Zoom has updated the software to require meeting passwords by default. The State of Michigan attorney general is recommending passwords, and to disable ‘join before host’ for scheduled meetings. However, with the intentional hospitality of a church organization, each host must weigh the importance. To kick someone out of the meeting if a disruption occurs, click the ‘Participant’ button on the host control bar and then click the ‘More’ button when you hover over the name and an option will appear to remove the person from the meeting. Click here for informaiton from the MI attorney general.